Parallel wire separator



Oct. 8, 1963 a. R. WOLFE ETAL 3,106,524

PARALLEL. WIRE SEPARATOR Filed Oct. 6, 1960 l 2 Sheets-Sheet 1INVENTORS. Gems E WOLFE, BY A aeMA/v 6. lees/sch,

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Oct. 8, 1963 G. R. WOLFE ETAL PARALLEL WIRE SEPARATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Filed Oct. 6, 1960 FIG. Z

JNVENTORS. Gene 2 Wou-z; BY Aaznmu G. Poe/sol,

ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent Ofiice 3,106,524 Patented Oct. 8, 1963 3,106,524PARALLEL WEE SEPARATOR Gene R. Wot-Lie, Hamiiton County, and Norman G.Rohisch, Wyoming, (Phio, assignors to The Procter dz Gamble Company,Qincinnati, ()hio, a corporation of Gino Filed Get. 6, 196% Ser. No.60,927

3 Claims. (Cl. 209-379) This invention relates to an improved wireseparating device especially for use on particulate materials which tendto agglomerate when agitated.

The use of parallel wire separators is old, especially when mounted onan inclined plane, to remove particles of an undesirably large size froma mass ofsmaller particles of a particulate solid material. In suchdevices, the smaller particles fall between the wires and thus areseparated from the large particles retained thereon. However, priordevices when in use, especially with materials which are tacky and tendto adhere to each other and thus agglornerate into large lumps, aresubject to rapid blinding of the space between the wires due to thematerial packing the space between two wires or bridging over suchspaces. To reduce this loss of separation effectiveness, it is common toinduce vibration in the wires to free the wires of the blinding materialby devices which pick or strum the wires as by moving transverselyacross them, or strike all of the wires simultaneously or shake theseparator as a unit, or produce an equivalent action.

When parallel wire separators are loaded heavily, however, the weight ofthe load of material on the wires damps out almost instantaneously anyvibration induced in the wires by the methods previously known and theseparators rapidly lose efficiency from blinding.

It has now been found that the separating efiiciency of such a devicecan be increased several-fold if the parallel wires are mounted undertension and are divided into at least two groups, as for instancealternate wires in one group and the intervening wires in the othergroup, and one group is lifted as a unit by suitable means while theother group is being permitted to return to its rest position, and whilethe former group is being returned to its rest position, the latter isbeing raised. Alternately one group may be returned to its rest positionbefore the other group is raised. The positive displacement of thegroups of wires is obtained by lifting them in a perpendicular plane bymeans of lifters which raise the wires simultaneously at points close toeach end thereof, and thus raise the wires over essentially the 'fulllength of the separating 'device. Because the positive motion of thegroups ofwires relative to each other is imparted over essentially thefull length of the separating surface, the motion of the .wires isresistant to any possible damping effect of the load thereon and isunaffected thereby in contrast to the important damping effect of theload on the separators previously known. By thus positively displacingalternate wires in groups relative to each other in turn at a rate ofabout 200 to about 2500 times per minute, the effectiveness of aparallel wire separator equipped with the aforesaid high speed liftersis much greater on a given material and under a given set of operatingconditions than that of a similar parallel wire separator having wiresof equal gauge and spacing but not equipped with wire lifters.

It is an object of the present invention to provide positivedisplacement means for adjacent wires of a parallel wire separator tomove them at a high enough rate that the adjacent wires are in relativemotion substantially at all times and thereby any tendency to blind thespaces between the wires of such a separator is greatly reduced and theseparating capacity of the device is increased several times.

It is another object of the invention to provide a device of thischaracter is which enough movement is imparted to the wires so that whenthe separator is mounted in an inclined position, the separated oversizeparticles are moved positively to the lower edge of the device, and theangle of incline at which the separator device is mounted can beminimized permitting its installation in areas with low head room.

It is another object of the invention to provide sufiicient motion tothe bed of material fed to the upper end of the separator that softagglomerates of a tacky material which are too large to pass between thewires and would thus slide down the wires and be rejected as oversizeare instead broken up by the motion of the wires and the resultantparticles pass between the wires and the recycling o-f oversize productis minimized thereby.

It is an additional object of the invention to alternately lift theadjacent wires of the separator at each end by positive means so thatthere is no need to consider the efiects of dampening caused by a loadthereon.

These and other objects of the invention which is described in moredetail hereinafter, or which will be apparent to one skilled in the artupon reading these specifications, are accomplished by that certainconstruction and arrangement of parts of which we describe below anexemplary'ernbodiment. 7 According to the present invention there isprovided a frame to which parallel lengthwise tension members and twocross members at either end of the frame are secured, the cross membersbeing mounted below the tension members and transversely thereto, andconnected to move in pairs, one cross member of each pair being ateither end of the frame. The cross members are caused to lift thetension members in contact therewith, and as a result the adjacenttension members are caused to be constantly in relative motion to eachother, so that the parallel tension member separator does not becomesubject to blinding when it is used to separate oversize particles froma tacky powder.

Reference is now made to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereofand in which:

FGURE 1 is a plan viewof a separator embodying I this invention; and

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view thereof; and

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary elevation, partially in cross section, takenalongthe line 3--3- of FIG. 1 showing the rocker plate at the middle ofits arc of travel; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary elevation, partially in cross section, takenalong the line 4-4 of FIG. 1 showing the rocker plate at one end of itsarc of travel; and FIG. 5 is an enlarged top plan view of part of one ofthe pairs of wire lifter cross' rods; and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged side elevation of part of the separator takenalong the line 6--6' of FIG. 1 showing the displacement of the tensionmembers when the rocker plate is at one end of its arc of travel.

Referring to the drawings; it) designates the supporting structure ofthe separator which is constructed of conventional structural metalshapes attached to legs 11 and a base 12. The frame 13 of the separator,constructed at the sides of conventional structural metal shapes i4, andat the ends of wooden anchor blocks 15, is attached to the supportingstructure 10 by bolts 16. A motive power source 17 such as aconventional electric motor is secured to the base 12 of the support 10of the separator. Attached to the shaft 1% of the motor is a pulley 19which drives a pulley 20 by means of V-belts 21. The pulley 20 is keyedto a drive shaft 22 mounted transverselyot the separator. The driveshaft 22 journaled in bearings 23 in eaoh'side of the supportingstructure 10, is provided with eccentric portions at the locations wherethe collars 24 are mounted thereon outwardly of each side of thesupporting structure 10. The shaft is not provided with eccentricportions at the locations where it is journalcd in the bearings 23, andas a result it imparts in turning an eccentric motion to the two collars24. By means of followers riding on each of the collars 24, andconnecting rods 26 attached to the followers 25 by means of threadedpins 27, the eccentric motion of the drive shaft collar is converted toa reciprocating motion which is transmitted in turn through loopfasteners 28 and pins 29 to rocker arms 30. The rocker arms 30 aremounted outwardly of the frame on stub shafts 31 journaled in bearings32 in the sides of the frame. Inwardly of the frame are mounted on eachof the four stub shafts 31 a rocker plate 33, at the two upper cornersof which are bearing mounts 34 and 35 holding bearings 36 and 37.Journaled in the four bearings 36 at opposite sides of the frame andextending inwardly therefrom are four stub shafts 38 on each opposingpair of which are rotatively mounted a Wire lifter cross member 39 bymeans of roller bearings one of which is shown in FIG. 3 at 49A.Similarly two other wire lifter cross members 40 are rotatively mountedon opposing pairs of the four stub shafts 41 journaled in the fourbearings 37. Thus there is at each end of the separator a pair of wirelifter cross members 39 and 40 with the member 39 being the one of thepair closer to the end of the separator. The rocker arms 30 at eitherend of the separator are mounted on the shafts 31 in an opposed manneras will be seen in FIG. 2 so that the reciprocating motion imparted tothe shafts 31 by the rocker arms 30, as they move from the mid-point oftheir are of travel results in the simultaneous raising of the two crossmembers 39 and the lowering of the two cross members 40, followed as theshaft31 is reversed in its direction of travel by the simultaneousraising of the two cross members 40 as the two cross members 39 arelowered.

By mounting the wire lifter cross members 39 and 40 rotatively by meansof the rocker bearings 40A or the shafts 38 and 41, the wire liftercross members are free to revolve in operation, and in so doing reducethe wear on the wire lifter cross members and provide a self cleaningmechanism to remove any material that may have fallen through thetension members onto the wire lifter cross members.

The wire lifter cross members as is shown on an enlarged scale in FIGS.4 and 5 consist of alternating Wire lifters 42 in the form of a groovedannular ridge and recessed grooves 43 of the proper width to receive oneof the tension members 44 of the separator. The total number of wirelifters and of recessed grooves in a single wire lifter cross member isequal to the total number of tension members. The material ofconstruction of the wire lifter cross members may be of any conventionalmaterial compatible with the tension members but nonmetallic hardplastics are the materials of choice. The wire lifter cross members areso designed (as shown in FIG. 5) that alternate tension members are incontact with the wire lifters of cross member 39 and the interveningtension members are in contact with the wire lifters of cross member 40when the rocker plates 33 are stationary at mid-point of their are oftravel. The two wire lifter cross members 39 at either end of theseparator have their wire lifters 42 positioned to be in contact withthe same group of tension members, and the intervening group of tensionmembers is in contact with the wire lifters of the two wire lifter crossmembers 40.

It is of course within the field of this invention if desired to causeless than all of the tension members to be lifted at any time, thus forinstance, it may be desired to provide only one wire lifter cross memberat each end of the separator, or to omit the corresponding wire lifterson each of the two wire lifter cross members which normally would liftcertain of the tension members during operation;

As the tension members 44 strung the length of the separator, whileunder tension, still are capable of being stretched further, thesimultaneous lifting of the two corresponding Wire lifter cfoss membersat either end of the separator imparts a lifting motion in an upwarddirection perpendicular to the plane of the separator to the group oftension members in contact with the two wire lifter cross membersespecially for the portion of the tension members therebetween. The wirelifter cross members preferably are positioned relative to the tensionmembers engaged thereby by shims placed beneath the frame 13 so that therest position of the tension members is essentially at the point ofmaximum depression from the plane of the separator of the top of thewire lifters 42 of a wire lifter cross member. In this arrangement asshown in FIG. 6, the tension members are in contact with the wirelifters throughout essentially the entire lifting and lowering cycle,and the groups of tension members are in motion relative to each otheressentially at all times. However the wire lifter cross members may bepositioned relative to the tension members engaged thereby so that therest position of the tension members is essentially at the plane of thetop of the wire lifters 42 when the rocker plates 33 are at theirmid-point of travel. In this case as the one group of alternate tensionmembers is lifted the group of intervening tension members remains levelas its members pass through the recessed grooves 43 of the pair ofraised wire lifter cross members. When the rocker plates 33 reach theend of their arc of travel, the one group of tension members isdisplaced perpendicularly upward to the full extent provided by thedevice, and as the rocker plates return to the mid-point of their are oftravel the tension in the tension members returns the group of displacedalternate tension members to their rest position in the plane of theseparator. In continuing their travel to the other end of their are oftravel the rocker plates now cause the previously lowered wire liftercross member in each group of wire lifter cross members to be raised,thereby lifting perpendicularly the formerly horizontal group ofintervening tension members. In this case one of the groups of tensionmembers is in motion relative to the other substantially at all timesbut each group is at rest half of the time. Adjustment of the Wirelifter cross members relative to the tension members at points betweenthe two extreme conditions described above is included among theexemplifications of the invention.

Approximately half of the tension members comprising the separator haveone end attached to piano type tuning pins 45 arranged in a plurality oftransverse rows and anchored in the bottom of the anchor block 15 at oneend of the separator and are strung the length of the separator, passingunder a cross rod 46, under a semicircular cross rod 47, over a supportplate 48, and a threaded cross rod 49 which aligns the tension membersproperly, and at the opposite end of the separator pass over the secondthreaded cross rod 49, over the second support plate 43, under thesecond cross rod 47 and around the second cross rod 46, and are returnedto the first end of the separator passing again under the cross rod 47and over the plate 48 and the threaded cross rods 49 lying thereon in athread recess one removed from the thread recess occupied by the firsthalf of the tension member, then over the support plate 48 and under thecross rods 46 and 47 and having the second end of the tension membersecured to the pin 45 in the bottom of the anchor block which is offsetthe least amount from the pin to which the first end of the tensionmember is attached. The remaining tension members of the separator arestrung in the same manner in reverse with their ends being attached tothe pins in the bottom of the anchor block opposite to the block towhich the first group of the tension members are attached through theirtuning pins. If desired tension members can be used of a length equal toabout one-half that disclosed above, in which case the ends thereof arefastened at opposite ends of the separator and double the number ofanchor pins of the embodiment described must be provided. All tensionmembers are kept under tension by adjustment of the tuning pins asnecessary. The forward edge of the wooden anchor blocks is protected bya metal facing 50 attached in place by pins 51.

In the manner described the continued driving of shaft 22 causes onegroup of alternate tension members to be lifted perpendicularly from theplane of the separator and then to be returned to a point at or abovethe rest position of the tension members, while the other group ofintervening tension members is caused to travel the same cycle but 180out of phase from the first group. With proper choice of the speed ofthe motor 17 each rocker plate is caused to oscillate and each group ofalternate tension members can be lifted to the full amount and returnedto its point of lowest travel at the speed of 200 to 2500 times perminute. The contiguous tension members of the separator aresubstantially in constant motion relative to each other. With especiallytacky particulate materials as prepared cake mixes the preferred speedof lifting each group of tension members ranges between about 1000 andabout 1400 times per minute.

It is this substantially continuous motion relative to each other ofeach pair of contiguous tension members across the separator thatreduces to a great degree the blinding to which previous separators weresubject when in use with a tacky powder. The powder or granulatedmaterial from which oversized particles are to be removed is fed ontothe tension members (which may be wires, rods, cords or of other desiredforms and materials) at the upper end of the separator which is mountedin an inclined plane through a feed chute 52. The particles of the feedsmall enough to pass through the open space between contiguous tensionmembers pass through a discharge hopper 53 to any desired furtherprocessing or packaging step. A sheet metal protective casing 54surrounds the revolving shaft 22 to prevent the particles contacting it.The particles of the feed which are too large to pass through theseparator are forced by the motion of the tension members and gravity topass down the slope of the separator and after passing over the top ofthe lower anchor block fall into a discharge hopper 55, provided with anaccess door 56, from which the oversized material can be sent todiscard, to separate packaging, or to reprocessing as desired. Ifdesired a cover plate may be provided at the lower end of the separatorbetween the plate 48 and the anchor block 15, so that the rejectedparticles will all be discharged over the bottom end of the anchor blockand will not tend to choke the openings between the various crossmembers there situated. Any particles of small enough size to passbetween the wires which adhered to the oversized particles and wererejected therewith in former separators are shaken loose and fallthrough the tension members of the separator as a result of thebuifeting each oversized particle receives in its passage down the faceof the separator. In a similar manner loose aggregates of individualparticles in the desired size range are separated by the bufietingaction into their constituent particles which pass between the wires andthus do not have to be recycled. 7

Most important, however, in increasing the separating capacity of thedevice of this invention is the great reduction in tendency of tackymaterials to pack into the space between the tension members and thus toblind that area of the separator. The substantially continuous motionrelative to each other of contiguous tension members reduces greatly theopportunity for such a packing action to occur as an aggregate ofparticles is buffeted apart as soon as it is formed. The vertical motionof the tension members produces a maximum of bulfeting with a minimum ofa squeezing action between contiguous tension members, so that theforces acting to break apart an aggregation of tacky particles aremaximized while at the sametirne the forces acting to squeeze otherparticles together into a large aggregate are minimized. Finally, thepositive displacement imparted to the tension members at both endsthereof does not permit their motion relative to each other to be dampedout regardless of the load placed on the separator, a defect that iscommon to other parallel wire separators wherein the tension members arenot positively displaced. For greatest separating efficiency theamplitude of the vertical motion of the tension members when liftedshould exceed the horizontal distance between adjacent tension membersat rest and preferably be not substantially in excess of about threetimes the horizontal separation between adjacent tension members atrest.

It will of course, be understood that various details of theconstruction described may be varied through a wide range withoutdeparting from the principles of this invention.

What is claimed is:

1. An inclined screening device comprising in combination a frame, :aplurality of parallel wire-like tension members strung the length ofsaid frame in a generally longitudinal plane, the ends of said tensionmembers being fastened to said frame at the opposite ends thereof, apair of rocker plate members mounted for oscillating motion at each sideof said frame close to one end of said frame, a second pair of rockerplate members mounted at about the same distance from the other end ofsaid frame, two pairs of cross members in parallel relationshipextendingacross and beneath said tension members, said cross members beingconfigured to provide grooved ridges spaced throughout the length ofsaid cross members, said grooved ridges being so positioned that thegrooved ridges of one of each pair of said cross members will contactcertain of said tension members while the grooved ridges of the other ofeach pair of said cross members will contact certain other of saidtension members, means for imparting a simultaneous rapid oscillatingmotion to said rocker plate members whereby to move the cross members ineach pair of said cross members oppositely in a general directiontransverse to said tension members, said cross members being pivoted tosaid rocker plate members, whereby during the oscillating motion of saidrocker plate members various ones of said tension members are raised andlowered with respect to the general plane of said tension memberswithout the application thereto of forces tending to move said tensionmembers longitudinally.

2. An inclined screening device comprising in combination a frame, aplurality of parallel wire-like tension members strung the length ofsaid frame in a generally longitudinal plane, the ends of said tensionmembers being fastened to said frame at the opposite ends thereof, apair of rocker plate members mounted for oscillating motion at each sideof said frame close to one end of said frame,

a second pair of rocker plate members mounted at about the same distancefrom the other end of said frame, two pairs of cross members in parallelrelationship extending across and beneath said tension members, saidcross members being configured to provide grooved ridges spacedthroughout the length of said cross members, said grooved ridges beingso positioned that the grooved rid es of one of each par of said crossmembers will contact certain of said tension members while the groovedridges of the other of each pair of said cross members will contactcertain other of said tension members, means for imparting asimultaneous rapid oscillating motion to said rocker plate memberswhereby to move the cross members in each pair of said cross membersoppositely in a general direction transverse to said tension members,said cross 7 times a minute with respect to the general plane of saidtension members without the application thereto of forces tending tomove said tension members longitudinally.

3. The screening device of claim 2 in which alternate tension membersare in contact with the grooved ridges a References Cited in the file ofthis patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Edstrom Feb. 13, 1906 Cunningham July2, 1907 Converse July 28, 1908 Fourment July 23, 1935 Wehmiller Nov. 10,1953 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Aug. 10, 1894 Great Britain 1930Great Britain Dec. 27, 1933

1. AN INCLINED SCREENING DEVICE COMPRISING IN CONBINATION A FRAME, APLURALITY OF PARALLEL WIRE-LIKE TENSION MEMBERS STRUNG THE LENGTH OFSAID FRANE IN A GENERALLY LONGITUDINAL PLANE, THE ENDS OF SAID TENSIONMEMBERS BEING FASTENED TO SAID FRAME AT THE OPPOSITE ENDS THEREOF, APAIR OF ROCKER PLATE MEMBERS MOUNTED FOR OSCILLATING MOTION AT EACH SIDEOF SAID FRAME CLOSE TO ONE END OF SAID FRAME, A SECOND PAIR OF ROCKERPLATE MEMBERS MOUNTED AT ABOUT THE SAME DISTANCE FROM THE OTHER END OFSAID FRAME, TWO PAIRS OF CROSS MEMBERS IN PARALLEL RELATIONSHIPEXTENDING ACROSS AND BENEATH SAID TENSION MEMBERS, SAID CROSS MEMBERSBEING CONFIGURED TO PROVIDE GROOVED RIDGES SPACED THROUGHOUT THE LENGHTOF SAID CROSS MEMBERS, SAID GROOVED RIDGES BEING SO POSITIONED THAT THEGROOVED RIDGES OF ONE OF EACH PAIR OF SAID CROSS MEMBERS WILL CONTACTCERTAIN OF SAID TENSION MEMBERS WHILE THE GROOVED RIDGES OF THE OTHER OFEACH PAIR OF SAID CROSS MEMBERS WILL CONTACT CERTAIN OTHER OF SAIDTENSION MEMBERS, MEANS FOR IMPARTING A SIMULTANEOUS RAPID OSCILLATINGMOTION TO SAID ROCKER PLATE MEMBERS WHEREBY TO MOVE THE CROSS MEMBERS INEACH PAIR OF SAID CROSS MEMBERS OPPOSITELY IN A GENERAL DIRECTIONTRANSVERSE TO SAID TENSION MEMBERS, SAID CROSS MEMBERS BEING PIVOTED TOSAID ROCKER PLATE MEMBERS, WHEREBY DURING THE OSCILLATING MOTION OF SAIDROCKER PLATE MEMBERS VARIOUS ONES OF SAID TENSION MEMBERS ARE RAISED ANDLOWERED WITH RESPECT TO THE GENERAL PLANE OF SAID TENSION MEMBERSWITHOUT THE APPLICATION THERETO OF FORCES TENDING TO MOVE SAID TENSIONMEMBERS LONGITUDINALLY.